This Fisherman Ferments Fish in Mud in the Philippines

It's still rotten, you still have to cook it. Taste it first before you eat it. I'm Manlari, I live here in Bagna. My parents are from Bantay, Plesdaan. Now, when Abang Os died, my father said, we're tired of being poor, let's look for someone else. That's how we learned how to make lumlum. We tried, and that's how we got to know each other. Dubbed as a province of history, Bulacan boasts of rich cultural heritage, food, and traditions. The home of heroes. Before the Spaniards came, its natives gravitated towards settling on coastlines and rivers where the bounties of the sea were abundant. When the Spaniards arrived in the region, though, they would find sprawling cotton trees everywhere, resulting in the province being named Bulacan, from the Tagalog word bulak, or cotton. In 1572, they founded most of the towns from thriving settlements or barangays. Bulacan eventually became the first capital of the province and served as a hub for trade, primarily due to its proximity to Manila and its accessibility through its rivers. Bulacan is located in a place where there are mountains, there are plains, there are hills, there are ravines. We're also near the seas, like Manila Bay. So more or less, the nature of Bulacan is that it lives, or it revolves around the natural resources of our nature. That's why when it comes to the food that the Bulacans eat, it's really balanced. There's food that comes from the mountains, there's food that comes from the plains, and also from the waters. Because for us, for our Bulacans, our food is very important, because this is what gives us our rich culture. This is what tells us who we are. Fermented fish is quite common all around the world, and each dish requires a strong stomach and a particular palate. While not recommended for everyone, it's important to understand and appreciate the origins of these dishes. What started off as not wanting to throw away fish that had died and floated due to the fluctuating temperatures of the water during summer has developed in a delicacy that the locals here look for often. While surprising or controversial to some, this is a pre-colonial dish made of bangus or telapia that is buried in mud, then made to ferment for one up to three days. The process softens and develops the flavor of the meat. It's then cooked with vinegar and very simple aromatics. When it rains, the water in the fish tank is different. Many fish die. They float. That's the type of fish that's used in Lumlum. Bangus are owned by landowners. But this is a chance for the community around the fishponds to benefit from the floating fish. When we see that it's already floating, but it can't be used for Lumlum, we put it in a bucket and fill it with water for four to ten hours. Half a day. I don't know what to do with the water. If it's already floating, it can be used for Lumlum. But if it's already submerged and only the head is floating, it can't be used for Lumlum. It's a hard fish. Since it died of natural death, it has a taste. It's called Gilik. To get rid of the Gilik, they wrap the fish with banana leaves. They fill the fish overnight. That's why it's called Bungan. It's big. It's bright. It's eyes are not pressed. And it's mouth is white. While it's rotting, it tastes better because it's floating in the water. In coastal areas, they don't have wands or fridges. The only process to preserve the fish is to bury it in the ground because it's cold. It's white. Or you can add salt. Now, we're going to make Lumlum. Let's take it out. Some people hit their heads. I don't hit my head because the eyes have a taste. That's why I'm cutting it. What we're doing is to clean it. That's what I'm telling you. I'm separating it from the scales. Especially the scales. We're going to clean it. Now, we're going to cut it. We're going to clean it. We don't want it to be clean. It needs to be very clean so that it loses its smell. There. Now, it's clean. Lumlum is inspired by the wisdom and ingenuity of the Malolos, or us, as Filipinos. So, it shows how the resources that the rich get from food are valued, such as the rice that produces vinegar, such as the waters that surround the Malolos that flow into Manila Bay, so that it's not wasted. So, you can see how our fellow Filipinos work hard and how they give a high level of respect to food so that it's not wasted. This is the great heritage of Lumlum. We're going to cook Lumlum. First, we're going to spread a wide leaf so that the fish won't stick. We're going to add fish sauce. We're going to add more fish sauce. Fish sauce. We're going to spread it again. The more garlic, the better. Pepper. Pure vinegar. Don't mix it with water. Salt. We're going to cover it. That's the finest part. We're going to add the coconut milk. We're going to cook it in a paksiw style, in vinegar. It's just a simple paksiw, but what's different is that they add coconut milk. Let's see if it's dry, and we can add the coconut milk. In that procedure, the bitterness disappears. The flavor that you get from the banana leaves, from the puting, and everything, that's what makes Lumlum delicious. That's what makes it delicious. There. We're going to boil it again. We can cover it again. When it's dry, so that the fish will be absorbed by the coconut milk. Wow. If you want to taste it, just go to Ate Gina's place at my brother's place, and you can taste Lumlum. The Bulacenos, especially the Malolos, have a different way of looking at food. They don't do it on their own. The community, your neighbors, The Bulacenos are not on their own, just like what they show in their tradition, in their food. From childhood, to old age, to death, still, there's a way of eating that shows and reflects our history. This is also what we can use as a support for our future. To teach the youth, to teach them how rich our Filipinos are, the Bulacenos. Food is not only meant to satisfy hunger, it is also a means of telling stories. Through heritage dishes like Lumlum, we are able to preserve our cultural identity and let future generations experience our history in small plates. May culinary traditions like these never die and live on just like a serving of Tatay Larry's flavorful Lumlum.